Topic: Gaddafi

The Libyan Army Is Using Rape As A Military Weapon. And We Need To Talk About It.

The Libyan Army Is Using Rape As A Military Weapon. And We Need To Talk About It.

It’s always hard to read stories like this, but yesterday I learned that Gaddafi’s troops in Libya have been issued Viagra and may have been encouraged by their commanders to engage in rape and sexual violence against citizens known to be sympathetic to the rebels. A U.S. envoy claims the soldiers were also targeting children. This new report comes mere weeks after a Libyan woman stormed a Tripoli foreign press conference in an attempt to tell the world that she was sexually assaulted by Gaddafi soldiers, only to be beaten by security forces and hauled away, presumably to jail (but who knows?). As hard as it is to read about stories like this, it’s important that we talk about them. More »